Air-operated bottle-closing apparatus



July 13, 1954 J.- STALLER AIR-OPERATED BOTTLE-CLOSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 26, 1951 I/M/ENTOR E at July 13, 1954 Filed Dec. 26, 1951 J. STALLER AIR-OPERATED BOTTLE-CLOSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g fiweunm A iv ISTALLER 53 2, A mfm Patented July 13, 1954 AIR-OPERATED BOTTLE-CLOSING APPARATUS Jan Staller, Erlenbach, near Zurich, Switzerland Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. 263,341

Claims.

Receptacles or" the bottle, jar and jug type and closure caps therefor are known, the cap being made of a deformable material and adapted to be pressed, with the dished face leading, into the pouring neck of the receptacle and to be provided, during the closing operation, with a radially and outwardly projecting peripheral bead which is engaged from below to a radially and inwardly projecting rim on the pouring-neck of the receptacle.

For closing such receptacles-which throughout the specification and claims simply are referred to as bottles-an air-operated apparatus is known, comprising an axially movable stamp adapted to be partly engaged in and to the closure cap. The said stamp comprises a plurality of sectors which, on pressing home the cap, are movable radially and outwardly, and on its working face has an undercut rim for producing the outwardly projecting bead on the closure cap.

Such a stamp apparatus according to my present invention is characterised by the provision of a holder which guides the stamp axially and is pivotally mounted. The said holder is connected to means which are adapted to swing the stamp alternatively either to a, position for receiving a closure cap or to the working position for pressing the cap into the bottle neck. One form of my present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 shows a closure cap in axial section,

Fig. 2 depicts in an axial section the pouring neck of a bottle adapted to receive the cap,

Fig. 3 shows a portion of Fig. 2, in an enlarged scale, in which the closure cap of Fig. 1 has been applied and sealed,

Fig. l illustrates the means for closing the bottles, partly in vertical section,

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged detail of Fig. 4, partly in vertical section and with differently positioned parts, and

Fig. 6 illustrates a detail partly in section on the line VIVI of Fig. 5.

For the purpose of clarifying the subject matter of my present invention, there first is shown an example of how the bottles may be adapted, and how the closure cap is formed.

The closure cap A shown in Fig. 1 has a dished portion It, an adjoining cylindrical portion H, and an outwardly projecting flange E2. The cap A is made of relatively thin sheet metal and is plastically deformable. A metallic cuff Is is fixed to the pouring neck I3 of the bottle, the cuff at I5 being rolled down into a peripheral groove of the neck. A sealing gasket I! made of elastic material such as rubber, is inserted between a radially and inwardly projecting end flange I6 of the cufi and the end face of the neck I3, and is held under a certain prestress by the cuii I4. The cufi" flange 15 comprises an interior rim I8 which is depressed or set back by the thickness of the material used for the cap A.

To close the bottle neck described, the cap A is inserted into the neck, the dished portion Iii leading, until the cap flange I2 bears on the rim Iii. By deforming the cylindrical cap portion H, a radially and outwardly projecting peripheral cap bead I9 (Fig. 3) is formed on the cap portion II, which bead is engaged to the rim I8 from below while the gasket I! is compressed. The bottle thereby is closed fluidtight, and the cap A cannot become detached from the bottle neck by itself or by pressure in the bottle interior. When, for example the bottle contains a gaseous liquid and the pressure in the bottle rises, such pressure acts on the convex side of the dished portion II] which is deformed to a certain extent, the peripheral cap bead I9 is radially extended outwardly and thereby causes a still tighter closure along the gasket H.

To open the bottle, the cap simply is pierced by a pointed tool or the like, and then raised from the cuif I4. It is to be noted that the cufi I4 and the sealing gasket I! always remain on the bottle and always are ready to receive a new closure cap A.

Figs. 4-6 illustrate the apparatus for automatically closing a bottle of the kind described above. The apparatus comprises a composite unit B, known per se, for pressing home and deforming the closure cap A. The unit B comprises a stamp holder consisting of two parts 20 and 2! which are screwed together. The holder part 2!! is provided with a cylindrical recess 22 (Fig. 5) to which adjoins a downwardly tapering conical member 23 of the other holder part 2!. In the conical recess 23 is disposed a stamp 2t which comprises a plurality of sectors subdivided by radial planes. The stamp 24 also comprises a conical skirt which rests on the wall of the conical recess 23 and is provided with a conical central bore 25, the slope of the surface lines with respect to the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the stamp being identical on the outside face and on the central bore of the stamp.

A mandrel 26, which is disposed coaxially to the holder 20, 2|, is secured in the holder part 28, and its free end which is appropriately formed conically, partly projects into the central bore 25 of the stamp 24. A flanged bushing 21 is mounted on the mandrel 26 so that its flange abuts against the upper end face of the stamp 24.

A coiled compression sprin 28 surroundin the bushing 21, engages at one end the flange of the bushing and, at the other end, a collar provided on the upper end of the mandrel 26. The spring 28 tends to push the bushing 21 and, thus, the sectors of stamp 24 downwardly into the conical recess 23 of holder part 2 I.

The stamp 24 further comprises at its lower end a convexly arched working face having an undercut rim 29 of which the diameter is substantially smaller than that of the lower stamp end-f ace 3D.

The composite unit B described which is known per se, is pivoted on a pin 3| in an inside space 32 of a cylinder 33 so that the stamp 24 alternatively may swing either to a working position (Fig. which is coaxial to the cylinder 33, or to a position (Fig. 4) which is inclined with respect to said working position. The space 32 of cylinder 33 is separated from a second, larger inside space 35, 42 of the cylinder by a partition 34. In the space 35, 42 is disposed a piston 36 which by means of a pin 3'! is secured to a stationary support 38 (Fig. 4). The cylinder 33 thus is upwardly and downwardly movable alon the stationary piston 36. A compression sprin 39 is coiled about the pin 3'! and engages through its one end the upper side of the piston 36 and, through its other end, an end cover 43 which is rigidly connected to the cylinder 33. The spring 36 tends to push the cylinder always upwardly against the support 38. A set screw 4| disposed in the support 38 and serves as an adjustable stop for limiting the said movement of cylinder 33. Between the lower face of piston 36 and the partition 34 of cylinder 33 is disposed the working space 42 for a pressure fluid which is supplied through a longitudinal bore 43 of pin 31. The bore 43 through a radial passage opens into a peripheral groove 44 of pin 31, which groove is situated in a recess of support 38. A supply duct 45 in support 38 opens into. said groove 44.

In the cylinder partition 34 separatin the workin space 42 of the pressure fluid from the space 32 in which is disposed the composite unit B, two elements 46 and 41 are mounted which are arranged parallel to the cylinder axis. The element 46 is a smooth pin of which one end abuts against the stamp-holder part 20. The two elements 43 and 41, however, engage points of the holder 23, 2| which are differently situated with respect to the holder pivot 3|. The element 4?, further has a much larger end area 43 than the pin 46. The end face 48 partly defines the working space 42 for the pressure fluid and is acted on by the latter for the purpose of swinging the stamp 24' into the working position shown in Fig. 5, which movement is limited by a stop 49 which coacts directly with the-stampholder.

On the outside of cylinder 33'is disposed a chute 50' in which the closure caps A, which have to be fixed to the bottle neck, are guided through their flanges I2. The lower portion of the chute 5!) is curved so that it finally ends in a direction at right angles to the stamp axis, when the stamp 24 is in its position of readiness (Fig. 4). An auxiliary stamp 5! is so arranged at the end of the chute 53 that its axis stands at right angles to the chute and is coaxial to the stamp 24 when the latter is in its position of. readiness (Fig. 4) The auxiliary stamp 5| is of rectangular shape-in the example shown and has a recess 52 in the face stamp. 5|: through a rod 53 iscoupledto a piston 54 movable in a cylinder recess 55 which is disposed in a lug 56 of cylinder 33. A coil spring 5'1 surrounding the rod 53 tends to move the piston 54 so that the auxiliary stamp 5| moves back out of the range of chute 50, i. e. in Fig. 5 to the left and downwardly. A feed line 58 for a pressure fluid opens into the recess 55, and an adjustable stop 56 serves to limit the movement of the lowermost closure cap dropping along the chute 50 in a position opposite to the auxiliary stamp 5|.

Seen in direction of the chute 5!], a pawl 63 is disposed on each side of the auxiliary stamp 5|. As shown in Fig. 6, the pawls 66 are pivoted at GI and biased by springs 62 which tend to swing the pawls so that their heads partly overlap the working face of the auxiliary stamp 5|. Each pawl is provided with a cam 63 which is engaged by the part 2| of the stamp holder when the latter swings to its position of readiness. whereby the two pawls are tripped and the pawl heads are moved out of the path of the auxiliary stamp 5| against the action of the springs 62.

The pressure fluid feed line 58 for actuating the auxiliary stamp 5| has a branch line 54 (top of Fig. 4), which opens through the stationary support 38. The lower end of the branch line 64 is closed in the inoperative position of the movable cylinder 33 by a valve element 65 provided on the cylinder, but is open during the movement of the cylinder. The valve thus formed and which is controlled by the cylinder 33, causes the fluid to act on the auxiliary stamp 5| only when the cylinder has reached the inoperative position.

At the closure-cap chute 50 and close to the lower end thereof is disposed a pawl 66 of which the nose projects into the path of the descending closure caps when the stamp holder 20, 2| abuts against the said pawl in its position of readiness (Fig. 4).

The mode of operation of the stamp apparatus described is as follows:

The closure caps A (Fig. l) by means of a delivery drum (not shown) are delivered from above into the chute 50 and slide by gravity down said chute. The foremost cap already is situated close to the lower end of chute 50 and in front of pawl 66 which, in the inoperative position of the parts as shown in Fig. 4, protrudes into the path of the closure caps. In order to make the apparatus ready for operation, the pressure fluid-preferably air--is supplied to the working space 42 of cylinder 33. The latter and its cover 40 thereby is moved downwardly along the piston 36 against the action of spring 39, whereby the pin 46 is raised following from piston 36. The air at the same time acts on the end face 43 of the movable element 41 to push same downwardly so as to swing the stamp holder 23, 2| about th pin 3| counterclockwise. The pawl 66 thereby is released so that the lowermost closure cap may slide in front of the working face of auxiliary stamp 5| where it is arrested by stop 59.

Immediately thereafter, air is discharged from the working space 42 of cylinder 33 so that the spring 39- pushes the cylinder upwardly again. When the upper end of pin 46 abuts against the piston 36, the stamp holder 20, 2| is again swung into the position of readiness, i. e. clockwise in Fig. 5. The holder part 2! thereby swings the two pawls 60 out of the path of auxiliary stamp 5|. As soon as the cylinder 33 has reached its position of rest (Fig. 4). its valve body 65 closes the mouth of branch line 64; and air pressure is built up in the space 55 so as to move the structure 51, 53 and 54 upwardly. The foremost closure cap thus is pushed by the auxiliary stamp against the working face 30 of stamp 24 around the rim 29 thereof, to which it adheres. The next following closure cap in the meantime has slid within a short distance from the auxiliary stamp 2;, where it is temporarily retained by the pawl When a bottle formed as shown in Fig. 2 is to be closed, the bottle is put on a support (not shown) vertically underneath the cylinder 33. Air is supplied to the working space 32 of cylinder 33 which, thus, is moved downwardly. As soon as the valve body 65 moves away from the mouth of branch line 54, air flows from the space 55 of auxiliary cylinder 56, and the spring 51 lowers the structure 5|, 53 and 54 away from stamp 24 into the position shown in Fig. 5. The stamp holder 23, 2! under th action of the air acting onto the element 41, swings into the working position shown in Fig. 5, which is reached while the cylinder 33 still is moving downwardly. The bottle neck then projects through a central aperture 37 in th lower end face of cylinder 33, and the stamp 24 through its end face 30 abuts against the fiange E6 of cuff M on the bottle neck, whereby the closure-cap flange I2 is pressed onto the rim I8 of cuff M. The closure cap is pressed into the cufi 14 through the dished working face of stamp 24. As soon as the face 33 of stamp 2 bears on the cuff M, the stamp 24 is moved upwardly in the holder 20, 2| when the latter and the cylinder 33 move further downwardly. The sectors of stamp 24 thereby ar pushed radially outwardly through the conical end of mandre1 25, whereby the undercut rim 29 of stamp 2? produces the peripheral bead on the closure cap. The deformation attained thereby may be appropriately chosen, within certain limits, by regulating the air pressure.

Air then is discharged again from the working space 42 of cylinder 33. The latter thus moves upwardly again under the action of spring 39, whereby the sectors of stamp 24 first move downwardly again relatively to the holder 20, 2| and then are re-assembled radially inwardly through the conical recess 23 of stamp-holder part 2|. Finally, the stamp 24 is disengaged from the pressed-in closur cap.

While the stamp 24 was in its working position (Fig. 5) the next following closure cap had time to slide in front of the working face of auxiliary stamp 53 i. where first it is guided yet by the pawls 83. When, however, the pin 46 during th upward movement of cylinder 33 abuts against the bottom face of piston 36, the holder 20, 2! is again swung into its position of readiness (Fig. 4) and thereby spreads apart the pawls 60. The said closure cap then is prevented by the stamp 23 itself from jumping the chute 50. As soon as the cylinder 33 has again reached its position of rest, the valve body 35 closes the mouth of branch line 64, and the air moves the structure 5|, 53 and 54. The second closure cap thereby is pushed against the working face of stamp 24.

The closure operation thus is finished, and the stamp apparatus is ready again for the next operation.

The set screw 4! (top of Fig. 4) not only serves for limiting the movement of cylinder 33 but also for limiting the swing or the stamp holder 20, 2| into its position of readiness, and may be so set that the stamp 24 and the auxiliary stamp 5! are coaxial in the position of readiness (Fig. 4).

In many cases it is of advantage, in particular to permit a rapid actuation of the apparatus, to control the air for operating the auxiliary stamp 5| not only by means of valve 55 but also by means of a supplementary valve (not shown). Such latter valve permits of venting the working space 55 already at the beginning of an operation, before the cylinder 33 starts to move downwardly. The stamp holder 23, 2! then can swing into the operative position immediately upon delivery of air into the cylinder working space 42. Such supplementary valve, however, has to be shut before the cylinder 33 reaches its position of rest so that the auxiliary stamp 51 is released by the valve 65.

The apparatus described has the advantage of being mechanically simple and highly reliable.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for applying a closure cap to a container such as a bottle or the like to seal the same, comprising, in combination, a support extending alon a predetermined axis along which a container to be closed is adapted to be located when a closure cap is applied thereto; a holder turnably mounted on said support for movement between a first position extending along said predetermined axis and a second position inclined to said axis; stamping means carried by said holder and extending therefrom to apply a closure cap to a container when said holder is in said first position and to receive a closure cap to be applied to a container when said holder is in said second position; turning means opera tively connected to said holder for turning the same and said stamping means therewith between said first and second positions of said holder; moving means for moving a closure cap onto said stamping means when said holder is in said second position thereof so that the closed cap will be carried with said stamping means to said axis when said turning means turns said holder from said second to said first position thereof.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said support being in the form of a cylinder extending along said predetermined axis and having a transverse wall located adjacent said holder and formed with a pair of openings respectively located on opposite sides of the turning axis of said holder, a stationary piston supportin said cylinder for reciprocating movement along said axis and being located on the opposite side of said transverse wall from said holder to define with said cylinder and transverse wall thereof a chamber for receiving a fluid under pressure, fluid pressure means communicating with said chamber for supplying a fluid under pressure thereto for moving said cylinder with respect to said piston in one direction along said axis to operate said stamping means for applying a clo sure cap to a container, spring means operatively connected to said cylinder for moving the latter in an opposite direction along said axis to a rest position, a first elongated member slidably mounted in one of said openings of said transverse wall, having an end face communicating with the interior of said chamber to be acted on by the fiuid pressure therein, and engaging said holder to turn the latter from said second to said first position thereof when said fluid under pressure moves said cylinder in said one direction along said axis, and a second elongated member slidably mounted in the other of said openings of said transverse wall of said cylinder and engaging said holder and said piston when said cylinder moves in said opposite direction along said axis under the influence of said sprin means to turn said holder from said first to said second position thereof, said first and second elongated members forming part of said turning means.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and wherein said support is provided with an end wall located opposite said holder and stamping means and formed with an opening located about said predetermined axis to receive a container portion to which a closure member is applied by said stamping means, said opening being of a substantially larger diameter than a free end portion of said stamping means which receives a closure member from said moving means.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and wherein said moving means comprises a carrier, a pusher member mounted on said. carrier for reciprocating movement toward and away from said stamping means when said holder is in said second position thereof, said pusher member being adapted to move a closure cap onto said stamping means when said pusher member moves toward said stamping means, and at least one pawl member turnably mounted on said carrier and engaging said pusher member to prevent the same from moving toward said stamping means, said pawl member having an operating end overlapping and engaged by saidholder when the latter moves from said first to said second position thereof so that said holder cooperat-es with said operating end of said pawl for moving the latter away from said pusher member to release the latter for movement toward said stamping means when said holder is in said second position thereof.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said predetermined axis extending in a substantially vertical direction and said carrier and pusher member of said moving means extending along a second axis inclined to said predetermined axis, said holder and stamping means being located along said second axis when said holder is in said second position thereof, and said supply means including a guide for the closure caps, said guide also being inclined to said predetermined axis and being substantially normal to said second axis at that portion of said guide which is located next to said second axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,232,273 Fredrick July 3, 1917 1,304,578 Lawson May 27, 1919 1,585,820 Baum May 25, 1926 2,361,176 Carvey Oct. 24, 1944 

